Andrew reynolds



@einen .gisten @anni @fitta Letters Patent No. 76,661, dated April 14, 1868.

'IMPROVEMENT IN BRSE HAY-FORKS.

ltlge Sdgrhtle referat in it tigre trticrs zrturt mit mating gaat nf yligt stmt 'IO ALL WI'IOM IT MAY CONCERN:

' Beit known that I, ANDREW REYNOLDS, Aof Rock Springs, county of Cecil, and State ot' Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Horse Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare the following to be Aa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings accompanying this specifica tion, and forming a part of' the same, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved horse hay-fork, and

Figure 2 a planview ofthe same, with the handle broken oil'- to show the dilerent parts.

My invention relates to an improvement in ,horse hay-forks, by which simplicity of construction, lightness, and durability are attained, together with the saving of time and labor in its use. It isconstrueted of wrought iron or steel, as desired, has no cast parts to break, is very simple and easily made, and agreat saving eiiected in the cost ofthe same.

In order that others may understand the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I will proceed to particularly describe it.

A, g. 1, is a plate of wrought iron, of proper size, to which the fork is attached. It has, at the ends, holes to receive the handle B, which is secured in its place on the under side of the plate by screW-nuts'a a. 'This 'handle is made of an iron rod, bent as seen atfig. 1, and at d, near the top, the pulley -or guide-wheel C is secured, its shaft passing through both parts of the handle, and turning therein. At one end of the plateA is attached the tine D, which projects downwards, as represented, and serves to keep the spiral tine E from turning out of the hay. AIn the centre of the plate A is a circular hole made, in which the upper end of the tine F is placed, and where it is free to turn. On the end which rises above the plate A is attached the circular plate G, and the two are firmly held together b'y a screw-nut, b. On the upper surface of this plate Gf(seeig. 2) are four notches cut, in which the pawl II catches to prevent the turning backwards ofthe tine F in the plate A. This pawl or latch II is secured at one end to the arm 'of thehandle B, as shown at iig. 1, and has-near its free end a hook, c,in which a cord is fastened, which, passing upward over the wheel C, extends downward'within'the reach of the operator. On the central tine F, at a point just below the plate A, I secure the spirall tine E, which curves around the tineF, and downwards to its end, by passing its end through a hole iu the said central tine and fastening it by a screw-nut. To the top of the handle B, when the fork is to be used, I attach a rope to pass upward over an ordinary pulley, thence to communicate in -any desired manner with the horse'or other power to be used.

Theoperation of my inventionis simple and easily understood. Whenit is wished to fasten the fork in the hay to be unloaded lor removed, by raising the .pawl H from the plate G, the spiral and otherl tines may easily be forced into the hay, and then, by dropping tlie pawl II and any power applied to raise the fork, the hay, caught and retained by it, will be raised, and when it is over the desired position, the paWl II is raised by the cord attached to it, and the fork instantly liberates itself from the hay, the spiral tine turning out and allowing the hay to fall.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and operation, what I claim, is

A single spiral tine E secured to a central straight tine F, so that they both turn while the instrument is being forced into thc hay and liberated from it, substantially Aas herein described.

ANDREW REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

ELLIS J. TUCKER, E. J. Moons. 

